In a world where conversations about therapy and mental health are often clouded by stigma, Headspace set out to create a safe and welcoming channel that normalizes these discussions. This year, our objective was to leverage YouTube to spark open dialogue, challenge outdated perceptions, and empower individuals to view therapy and mental health care as essential parts of everyday well-being.
By making our YouTube channel a trusted hub for education and empathy, we sought to dismantle barriers that prevent people from seeking support, whether those obstacles are cultural, financial, or rooted in fear of judgment. We wanted to meet people where they already were and provide them with authentic, diverse, and accessible content that showed mental health is not something to hide from but something to embrace.
YouTube was the ideal platform for this initiative because of its global reach and its unique ability to foster community through storytelling, comments, and shared experiences. Its features enabled us to experiment with formats that not only delivered effective coping tools but also invited audiences into honest, human conversations around therapy and self-care.
Breaking down the stigma around therapy in a culture where open conversations about mental health remains taboo required us to rethink how we tell stories. We combined compelling narratives with YouTube’s platform features to make therapy feel approachable and relevant to everyone.
Key Content Initiatives:
- Therapy Changed My Life (Docu-Series): This powerful docu-series showcased real people sharing their transformative journeys with therapy. We featured Wendy, a teacher whose family wasn’t equipped with the emotional tools to support her through cancer treatment; Yun, a first generation Japanese-American army veteran working through PTSD; and Julien, a D1 college basketball player who struggled to balance atheltics, academics and his dream of playing in the NBA. By amplifying authentic voices and personal narratives, the series aimed to normalize the act of seeking professional help while highlighting the profound impact therapy can have on everyday lives.
- Ask a Therapist (Video Series): In this Q&A-driven series, licensed therapists answered real audience questions about mental health, relationships, stress, and self-care. Designed to break down misconceptions around mental healthcare, the series provided accessible, judgement-free support and guidance while giving viewers the sense of sitting across from a trusted professional in a safe and supportive environment. Topics included coping with burnout at work, setting healthy goals, aging anxiety, substance use recovery, and navigating relationships.
- Support in Challenging Times (Playlist): In a year of uncertainty and loss, we created a playlist of free resources to support mental health on a global scale. This ensured that anyone, regardless of financial ability or access, had on-demand meditation and mindfulness tools when they needed it most.
- The Shine Collection: Mindfulness and mental health support should be for everyone. This initiative introduced a diverse network of mindfulness teachers who shared inclusive, feel-good exercises and discussions on topics like self-worth, LGBTQ+ experiences, and mental resilience.
Our strategy delivered real impact, both in terms of metrics and meaningful engagement. We generated 25.6M total views in 2024 and 15.7M views YTD, proving that mindfulness and mental health content was in demand for the YouTube community. Our average watch time increased +24% YoY, and our channel subscriber base increased +181% compared to the year before. Our expansion into mental health programming helped grow our impressions by +25%. Therapy Changed my Life generated more than 411,000 views within a month and drove 10.5% of referral traffic to our new therapy services. Ask a Therapist received 93,500 views across 5 videos. Our impact was clear from the love we saw in the comments:
Therapy Changed My Life: Finding Strength to Heal
- @SufiHealing: "It’s inspiring to see how openly you share your journey. Healing isn’t a straight line, but your story shows that every step—no matter how small—builds strength. Thank you for reminding us that change is possible."
Therapy Changed My Life: Prioritizing My Mind with PTSD
- @Goobito: Kudos to this brave man for his service to our country and sharing his journey. As a fellow first generation Asian American, a lot of Yun’s story resonates. I’m glad he had the courage to pull himself out and get help. I hope this helps others on their journey too!
Ask a Therapist
- @tahiraaaa6726: Wow thanks Samantha, loved your take on how comparing yourself to others can diminish your own value and sense of self
- @TovarichBramble Oh my god, Samantha - thank you. The burnout question is what I’m in right now and your reply is amazing. Thank you, I’m going to work on changing my mindset
Video for Headspace: Your Mind Matters
